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Windows 7: Cloning with Macrium Reflect

I'm new to Windows (via Sony Vaio laptop with 32/64-bit Windows 7 Professional) and would like to set up a backup scheme. I have been reading the docs for Macrium Reflect which I downloaded, free edition for now to give it a try before purchasing the full edition.

I have a couple of questions first if I may. My main question is about clone vs. image. If I make a clone backup to external drive, is this backup bootable should my laptop's drive die?

By way of example for this, I've been using a iMac for the past few years. I use a backup program on it called Carbon Copy Cloner. It can make a bootable full backup to (supported) external drive. When the iMac's drive died, I simply rebooted via the external drive's bootable backup. Basically no down time and very convenient.

So I am curious if that is capable with Macrium Reflect; i.e. bootable fully functional backup to external drive.

My other question pertains to external disk size. When I create the backup to the external, can I use the extra space to store files? I'm thinking of buying a 1TB firewire or eSata external as I do video editing and need the storage space whereas my laptop that I'll be backing up has only around 80MB being used.

Cloning is not a backup. You don't restore from a clone. You transfer from drive A to drive B with a clone, but it is not a restore or backup. It's a move, in real time, from one good drive to another good drive---typically when you have run out of space and must buy another drive.

Imaging may be what you are thinking of. That is a backup and is a restore--normally after a major problem, such as disk failure or severe Windows issue.

An image is just another file. It takes up space--typically about half of the size of the occupied space on the drive represented by the image. You can put anything else on the same external, providing you have enough space.

I have a 80 GB C drive, with 30 occupied. The images of that partition range from 11 to 15 GB, depending on which app I use to make the image.

You can't boot from the image file. It must be restored to become bootable.

Direct your sights toward imaging if you are thinking about "backup" as the term is normally used.

In all likelihood, you will not need the paid version of Macrium. The free version is excellent.

1. To have a bootable backup you should make Macrium images. But if you have the 100MB active system partition (which contains the bootmgr), transfer that bootmgr to the C: partition first Bootmgr - Move to C:\ with EasyBCD That will make life a lot easier and you can then ignore the 100MB partition.

2. You can mix things on your external. I suggest though that you make seperate folders for e.g. images and videos. Regarding the Macrium image size figure appr. 60% of the data on the imaged partition.

Here is a tutorials that I made that shows you how to handle Macrium imaging and the recovery part with the WinPE DVD which is a video that Kado made. Imaging with free Macrium

Thank you for the clarifications, very helpful. My remaining curiosity before I purchase the full version of Macrium Reflect is, can I make a bootable clone of my laptop with it onto an external drive in the event that the laptop's internal drive dies so that I can boot up via the external drive and continue working while waiting for a replacement internal drive for the laptop. Thanks.

You can install a bootable copy of the system to an external hard drive provided that drive is attached via eSata - else you cannot boot. The way to do that is to dump an image onto that drive. The image must include the bootmgr. but that can be easily arranged.

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